1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to transmission of an image including a handwritten message, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving an image which can reproduce a handwritten message using sequential time information.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of wired or wireless communication techniques, hardware manufacturing techniques of central processing units, memory, power charging techniques, and the like, functions of a mobile terminal have been greatly enhanced. For example, conventional mobile terminals only used voice calls to transmit a message. However, a mobile terminal capable of transmitting and receiving a text message allows users to use a Short Message Service (SMS) to transmit a message in a situation where a voice call cannot be made or where a simple message is to be transmitted.
The SMS has been adapted to a Long Message Service (LMS) to include a long text message or a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) to include a multimedia file, such as an image or moving picture. Due to such development, various benefits have been provided to users. Especially, demand for the MMS has been on the rise because of improved expression compared with the SMS or LMS, which transmit only a text message. A description of a method for transmitting a desired message using the MMS will now be given.
FIG. 1 is diagram illustrating an example of transmitting information using a conventional MMS.
Referring to FIG. 1, a user may compose an MMS by inputting a desired text on a handwriting recognition area or attaching a desired image. In an MMS input screen shown in FIG. 1, the handwriting recognition area is comprised of three single recognition areas each recognizing one character at a time. A user may input character information using a user's finger or an input tool such as a stylus pen. A user may transmit an image by calling the image stored in a memory using an area ‘Attach File’ below a text input window.
However, images transmitted using a currently provided MMS are images which have been previously stored. If a user desires to transmit a handwritten message using an MMS, the handwritten message should be changed to an image file using an application and should be stored before transmission. Moreover, when the handwritten message is changed to an image file, the message is changed to one still picture image. Namely, the changed image file does not include sequential time information written by a user.
In other words, when a receiving side receives an image included in the MMS, only one still picture image is shown and a process of composing the handwritten message by a transmitting side cannot be sequentially reproduced. Thus, since the handwriting and the sequential time information of the transmitting side cannot be transmitted, a vivid feeling disappears for the user.